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Ludwig apologizes, makes case for staying on Select Board

by Donald Ludwig  ·   Friday, March 28, 2025

My letter to the editor needed to come after the Select Board omnibus budget and town meeting warrant process was finalized. I have taken the time to talk with family, friends, and dozens of townspeople who understand that my error was uncharacteristic. I sincerely regret exhibiting inappropriate commentary on a social media site. Crass political satire is not appropriate, and my comments do not represent my feelings about any group, nor was it my intention to target any group. It was not a manifesto about gender, race, or sexual orientation.

I profoundly apologize to my wife and daughter first and to those that, in exploring X, discovered the juvenile nonsense that I was posting and took offense. Despite the current national atmosphere of hate and condemnation that is absolute, people are not black and white. I am human and made an error of judgement, but I would hope that those who troll social media would be able to also explore how much positive time and effort I have put into our town for over a decade and how my behavior and actions in reality are socially forward and only in the best interest of all people of Harvard and Devens.

I have taken responsibility for my actions, stepped down as chair, and vacated my liaison assignments to other boards and committees, but the challenges that the board is working on demand that we have a full team, especially in the ramp-up to the Annual Town Meeting. I owe it to the town to serve out the short remaining time in my term and use my experience to help. I believe my fellow board members were compelled to put out a strongly worded response, given the intensity of complaints they faced; yet I know they appreciate what I bring to the table and have not seen any indication that I harbor sexism, racism, or homophobia toward any group or individual in our time working together.

In retrospect, I’ve invested a tremendous amount of time and energy in this town for over 13 years, and would have hoped that people would have been able to see me as making a terribly stupid mistake and granted me some grace to resolve it. I would like to think those days are not gone, yet there seems to be an excess of anger in the air.

As Doc [former Town Moderator Doc Westerling] used to say at Town Meeting, we may have disagreements but at the end of the day we are still neighbors.

Donald Ludwig
East Bare Hill Road

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